The best catch that never was

Broncos safety Brian Dawkins had several explanations for the Broncos defensive improvement in recent weeks. Among them is the way the unit has cut down on the big, explosive pass play.

They certainly got lucky on one such pass Sunday in Kansas City.

Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin made one of the most spectacular catches you’ll ever see when wrapped his arms around Dawkins as he hauled in a 49-yard pass from Matt Cassel in the second quarter.

The referee on the deep end of the field saw the extensive body contact and threw a flag for defensive pass interference on Dawkins. Back on the other end of the field, an official had flagged the Chiefs offense for an illegal formation. Those penalties offset, wiping Baldwin’s ridiculous reception from the score book and giving the Broncos a serious break.

After the game, Dawkins acknowledged Baldwin’s effort, but insisted that he shouldn’t have been called for pass interference.

“He actually pulled me toward him to get the pass interference call and then caught the ball behind me,” Dawkins said. “I was trying to plead my case. It was a great catch, but I’m happy it got erased.”

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.